Cures
by Anya
Summary: When a Potions lesson goes wrong, Hermione's view of Snape is changed forever......


Cures  
By Anya  
  
WARNING: This is sort of Hermione/Snape, and I'm very sorry if it's not your taste. Please don't flame me! I got burned to a crisp already!  
  
:  
  
"I'm just saying, ok? Is it really what you want?"  
  
Ron called to Hermione as they walked into the Potions room, shivering automatically. It was as dark and eerie as before.  
  
Snape was standing with his back to them, so Hermione and Ron grabbed a seat together at the back.  
  
"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Who knows?" said Ron, grinning, "he didn't come to breakfast."  
  
The rest of the class filed in, taking up seats. Hermione and Ron looked around. Still no Harry.  
  
Snape turned round.  
  
"Today, class, we will be studying the heaviest love potion known to wizards," he said, "you will please get into groups and start making one. Page 406, in the text books."  
  
Everyone began to work, and Neville, who was looking nervous, joined Ron and Hermione.  
  
They began to work in silence, until all the potions were bubbling, and Snape called out, "everyone be prepared to take the potions, I'm coming."  
  
Everyone grabbed a cup of potion, and Hermione and Ron stood facing each other, while Snape came and stood by Neville. Neville looked terrified, but everyone, including Snape, took a swig of potion, and closed their eyes.  
  
"First person you see," Snape said.  
  
Suddenly, though she could be sure who did it, Hermione felt herself knocked sideways, pushing Neville out of the way, and opening her eyes in panic, found herself face to face with Snape, who was also looking at her.  
  
The feeling was the oddest she'd ever felt. It wasn't love, as such, but like a sense of longing, as she stared at Snape. She could see him frowning, staring at her.  
  
"Never mind," he muttered to the class, who were staring, "wears off in a moment, the way we made it."  
  
So they waited, and waited. Nothing happened. Hermione continued to survey Snape with her round brown eyes. How could she have not seen how nice he looked before?  
  
Because it's a love potion, someone in her head muttered, love potion.  
  
Hermione looked round at Ron, as the bell rang. He was staring at her in horror, and led her out of the classroom.  
  
"You OK?" he asked.  
  
"No."  
  
"Hasn't it warn off?" asked Ron, getting panicked.  
  
"No."  
  
"Then…. Your in love with SNAPE!?"  
  
"Yes. No. Maybe, I'm not sure."  
  
"Get sure, Hermione."  
  
"I don't know! Maybe I should go back and check."  
  
Hermione walked back along the corridor, leaving Ron alone.  
  
"Oh," he said, "this is like a nightmare."  
  
**  
  
Hermione knocked timidly on the door of the dungeon, wondering slightly why she was here. She found Snape searching fervently through the books he kept in his study, getting frantic.  
  
"Er… professor?" Hermione said timidly.  
  
Snape turned quickly and stared at her.  
  
"You shouldn't be here!" he hissed, "not while… we're like this! Longbottom got it wrong again!"  
  
Hermione found herself smiling. "You're cute when you're angry," she heard herself saying, then clapped a hand over her mouth. Snape stared in astonishment, then reached out to her hand.  
  
"Small hands, you have small hands," he said quietly, "I mean, what the hell are you doing here?" he let go of her hand and stepped back.  
  
"Sorry. I just, wanted to know if it had worn off yet. And it hasn't, has it?"  
  
"It doesn't feel like it has, does it!" Snape cried angrily, "I still want to kiss you, don't I?"  
  
"You do?" asked Hermione, then realised how sick that would be.  
  
"Yes, I want to hold you, kiss you, make love to you, and I feel like a dirty old man for it! Happy?"  
  
"No," said Hermione sadly.   
  
"Just, stay away from me, until I can fix us. I can't concentrate around you. If we're not fixed by next week, you mustn't come to Potions. Understood?"   
  
"Shouldn't we tell Professor Dumbledore?"  
  
"No, not yet."  
  
Hermione nodded, and left the dungeons.  
  
Snape began to look through the books again.  
  
**  
  
"SNAPE?"  
  
Hermione nodded. Harry looked outraged.  
  
"OF ALL THE PEOPLE TO LOOK AT AFTER TAKING A LOVE POTION, WHY SNAPE?!!!"  
  
Hermione looked at the fire.  
  
"Harry, it wasn't her fault, somebody knocked her."  
  
"Yeah, but Snape?!"  
  
"I don't know what your so upset about!" cried Hermione, "it's not going to matter, anyway! Snape has banned me from his classes, and his presence, until he finds a cure! Now, that's torture enough at the moment, so stop shouting at me!"  
  
Harry laughed. "You get to stay away from Snape, and you're unhappy about it?"  
  
"I want to be near him, I want to be next to him, I - "  
  
"Hold it!" cried Ron, "are you, or are you not, meant to be my girlfriend?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Ron, I can't help it. And he feels the same. He said so."  
  
"It's sick, Herm. Go to Dumbledore."  
  
"Snape won't go. He'd find it embarrassing that he was in love with a student. And not just any student - a GRYFFINDOR student."  
  
"You should go yourself. Explain what's happening."  
  
"No. Not if Severus doesn't want to."  
  
"Ugh! Don't say Severus!"  
  
Hermione stood up and left the common room.  
  
"I have to see him," she said to herself, "it hurts so much."  
  
She went down to the Potions Dungeon, and found Snape as she had before, searching through the books.  
  
"You didn't have any dinner." Hermione stated.  
  
Snape turned quickly.   
  
"No," he said, "I thought you shouldn't be near me. Or I you."  
  
"I want to be near you," said Hermione.  
  
"No, you don't."  
  
"I do. But it hurts so much when I'm near you, and just as much when I'm not."  
  
"God, Granger, this is sick! Don't you realise that?"  
  
Hermione felt herself begin to cry. "Don't you love me, Severus?"  
  
"It's the potion talking, Granger," said Snape, "you know that."  
  
"Yes. I know. But that's why I can't stop, isn't it?"  
  
In one swift movement Snape grabbed Hermione's shoulders and pulled her towards him in an embrace. She put her arms around his waist, and he squeezed her shoulders tightly. Snape suddenly pushed her away.  
  
"No, that's not right."  
  
"You love me, Severus. I know you do. I can feel it."  
  
"Potion, it's the potion."  
  
"Give in to it, Severus. You know you want to."  
  
Snape took another step away from Hermione.  
  
"Go. Please."  
  
Hermione began to cry even more.  
  
"I love you," she cried, "why don't you get that?"  
  
"Don't you see, Hermione?" he shouted, "I love you too! But this isn't a fairy tale! You're not going to wake up and find out that everything's ok! I still have to find a cure for this, then we can forget about it."  
  
"You know half the school will know about it by now, don't you? Dumbledore will know soon."  
  
"Then go and tell him. Go and tell him that you're in love with you're old Potions Professor, whom your best friends hate. Tell him about the fact you're not even sure its real love. Tell him about the Potion! And tell him that I love you!"  
  
Hermione grabbed Snape and kissed him.  
  
"I love you, I do love you. I swear." She whispered, then ran fleeting from the classroom.  
  
Snape picked up the book he was holding and threw it against the wall.  
  
"Damn it!"  
  
**  
  
The days passed quickly, Hermione feeling an ache constantly in her stomach. She wanted to see Snape, but at the same time she was repulsed by the idea.  
  
"I kissed Snape," she'd tell herself, and try to make herself feel sick about it. But it didn't feel sick. It felt good.  
  
Several people had asked her what was happening, and she denied that she was in love with Snape. But she got so sick of denying it that she went to see him again.  
  
"Snape?" she called, looking round the Potions classroom.  
  
"Go away."  
  
"Snape. This is getting out of hand. We should go see Dumbledore."  
  
Snape slowly came out of the doorway and went up to her, looking her straight in the eye.  
  
"Dumbledore trusted me to always make sure there was a counter cure for all my potions. Now what is he going to think of me?"  
  
Hermione grabbed his arm and took him gently along the corridor to Dumbledore's office. Snape muttered the password, and the door opened.  
  
Dumbledore was sitting at the desk reading a letter. He looked up and smiled.  
  
"Severus, Miss Granger. Come in. I've been expecting you."  
  
Snape and Hermione walked into the room and sat down on the two chairs in front of Dumbledore's desk.  
  
Dumbledore continued to smile his blue eyes bright and sparkling.  
  
"So, you're here to tell me about your accident, are you?" he said, a hint of amusement in his voice.  
  
"Professor, the love Potion Longbottom made was real, and it hasn't worn off - " Snape began, but Dumbledore held up his hand to silence him.  
  
"I know what has happened," he said, "and I am, off course, going to help you. Here's the counter spell - " he held up a piece of parchment, which Snape took eagerly, "and get a move on."  
  
**  
  
The counter potion was brewed and Hermione and Snape grabbed goblets and filled them. Hermione stared into Snape's eyes.  
  
"This has been the oddest experience of my life," she whispered, "and I'm not sure how I'm going to top it. I love you, Severus Snape. At least, right at this moment."  
  
Snape smiled. "I love you too, Hermione Granger."  
  
They kissed one last time, and then each drained their goblets.  
  
Hermione looked over at Snape, and knew that the feeling was gone. She smiled.  
  
"Well, umm…." She said awkwardly.  
  
"You can go, Granger," he said quietly.  
  
"Ok. Thanks. Bye."  
  
Hermione left quietly, and Snape stared after her.  
  
He reflected upon the words again.  
  
"I love you, Severus Snape."  
  
"I love you too, Hermione Granger."  
  
Snape stood and thought for a moment, then smiled, shook his head, and went back to work.  



End file.
